The agreed-upon conference report on the 2024 must-pass defense policy bill includes a requirement for the Defense Department and National Nuclear Security Administration to develop a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile.
As for funding levels, DOE nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons cleanup programs would be authorized for roughly the requested levels.
Within three months of its passage, the Secretary of Defense is required to submit a report on establishing a program to develop the missile, often called the SLCM-N. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), in parallel, will begin development of the W80-4 alternate warhead that the missile will carry, according to the legislation filed on Thursday.
The bill stipulates the warhead and missile should be ready for operation no later than the end of September 2034.
The Biden administration, which wants to cancel the SLCM-N, zeroed out funding in its 2024 budget request for the weapon, which it considers redundant to the W76-2 low-yield, submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile warhead. It is the second year the White House has proposed blanking the cruise missile development program.
The bill authorizes $24 billion for the NNSA, including $3.2 billion for stockpile modernization and a total $5.3 billion for stockpile management. Nearly $2 billion is included for naval nuclear reactors. Altogether, that’s about $200 million more than requested.
Meanwhile, Defense Environmental Cleanup programs at DOE’s Office of Environmental Management would receive fewer than $7.1 billion, about $30 million less than requested.
